Bag-jaw fastener.



R. L. PRAHAR BAG JAW FASTENER APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2|. 19l6.

PatentedAugn 21, 1917;

AZTORNEI' ROBERT ,PRAHAR, OF MASSAPEQUA, NEW YORK.

BAG-JAW FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t Aug 21, 19 1 Application filed December 21, 1916. Serial No. 138,165.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. PRAHAR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Massapequa, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Bag-J aw Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fasteners for bags, pocketbooks, valises, and other similar containers or devices having a pair of relatively movable jaws or frames.

The main objects of my improved construction are substantially the same as those of the construction described in my prior Patent No. 1,189,733, issued July 4:, 1916,

namely to provide a simple, inexpensive and I easily operated device for lockin the main fastener in operative position w ereby the bag can be opened only by first operating the auxiliary fastener to thereby release the main fastener and permit the latter to be operated. Y t

In my present construction, I secure these main objects by a simple, artistic and inexpensive construction which does not necessitate any change whatsoever in the construction of the main fastening device; whereas in the construction of my prior patent above referredto, the main fastening device in the forms illustrated is provided with an auxiliary flange or tongue. In my present invention, I provide pivotally mountedmeans which may be brought into position in the rear of the pivoted main fastener so as to normally prevent the latter from being swung to unlocked position.

In its preferred embodiment, my invention includes a main fastening member pivotally mounted on one jaw and adapted to be swung about a pivot extending in the samegeneral direction asthe jaw nto and out of locking engagement with the other jaw. In combination with this main looking member, I pivotally mount an auxiliary fastener on the same jaw which carries the main fastener, the said auxiliary fastener being of such form and so mounted that when in operative position, itengages with the rear side of the main fastening member and prevents the latter from swinging.

I do not wish to be limited to the specific form illustrated in the accompanying drawings as various changes may be made within the spirit of my invention without depart- I fastening member. I

ing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. The onespecificform is lllustrated in the accompanying drawings to which reference is to be had, and in which, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bag havlng a fastenerv constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and on a somewhat enlarged scale, and showing the bag in locked position,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but show in the bag in unlocked position, and

ig. 1 is a top plan view. p In the specific form shown, the body of the bag is provided with two pivotally connected jaws 11 and 12 each of substantially channel shape'and adapted to receive the edges of the body of the bag and retain them in a manner not illustrated but commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Mounted on one of the jaws, for instance the jaw 12, is a main fastening mem her which may include a cup-shaped body 13 and a knob 14 extending upwardly therefrom. The cup-shaped body is adapted to extend across the upper edges of both jaws and has a looped tongue 15' extending through a slot in'the top of the jaw 12 and receiving a spring 16 of theusual torsional character for normally holding the fastening member in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. For causing this fastening member to interlock with the other jaw 11, any suitable interengaging means may be employed as for instance a projection on the edge of the cap 13 entering an aperture in the jaw 11 or a projection 16 on thejaw 11 adapted to fit within the cap 13 and engage with the inner surface of the front wall thereof.

As an important feature of my improved construction, I provide an auxiliary fastening means which will engage with the rear side of the main fastening member to permit or prevent the swinging of the latter. In the specific form shown, I secure two posts 17 and 18 to the upper side of the jaw 12 and upon opposite sides of the main Pivotally mounted on these two posts or standards is a yoke or bail 19 preferably formed from a piece of sheet metal. The bail or yoke is open at the center so that it may swing over the knob 14 and has side projections, pivots or trunnions seated in the sockets in the posts 17 and 18. The center portion of the bail serves as a handle and is so curved that when in locking position, it will lie along side of the outer surface of the aw 11 as is shown par ticularly in Fig. 2.

Extending across, between the two pivotal supports of the bail, is a transverse bar portion 20 which acts as a cam, wedge, or stop, for direct engagement with the side of the main fastening member at a point above the base of the latter. When the bail is thrown back to the position shown in Fig. 3, the bar or locking portion 20 will be spaced from the rear side of the'knob 14: to such an extent that the knob may be freely moved about its pivot and against the tension of the spring from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 8 to permit the bag to be opened. After the bag has been closed and the main fastening member has automatically snapped into locking engagement with the projection 16, the bail may be swung over from the position shown in Fig. 3 to theposition shown in Fig. 2 and during such movement, the bar portion 20 will be moved forwardly into tight frictional engagement with the rear side of the knob. Thisnot only effectively prevents the knob from being pressed back to open the bag, but it also tends to lock the bail itself in position.

Preferably the locking portion 20 is of such form that during the final part of the movement to the position shown in Fig. 2, the engaging edge will come below the pivotal center, that is, below dead center, and any pressure on the knob tending to unlock it will only tend to swing the bail or auxiliary fastener more tightly into position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a pair of separable frames of a main fastening member pivotally mounted upon one of said frames and adapted for interlocking engagement with the other frame, a bar extending lengthwise of said first mentioned frame, means at opposite sides of said main fastening member for supporting said bar andpermitting its rotation about an axis parallel to the general direction of the frame, aprojection on said barmovable into and out of engagement with said main fastening member upon the rotation of said bar, and a handle member secured to said bar for rotating the latter.

2. The combination with a pair of separable frames, of a main fastening member movably mounted upon one of said frames and adapted for interlocking engagement with the other and an auxiliary fastening member in the form of a yoke pivotally mounted on said first mentioned frame at opposite sides of said main fastening member and adapted to swing over said main fastening member and including a portion adapted toen age with the rear of said main fastening member to prevent the swinging of the latter toward said portion when said yoke is swung over into operative position.

8. The combination with a pair of separable frames, of a main fastening member movably mounted upon one of said frames and adapted for interlocking engagement with the other, and an auxiliary fastening member pivotally mounted on said first men tioned frame and includin a cam projection adapted to be wedged into engagement with the rear of said main fastening member to prevent movement of the latter.

1. The combination with a pair of separable frames, of a bar extending lengthwise of one of said frames, a main fastening member pivotally mounted upon the same frame as said bar and intermediate of the ends of the latter to swing away from said bar into locking engagement with the other frame, or toward said bar out of said locking engagement, and means for rotating said bar about its axis, said bar having a portion movable into and out of engagement with said main fastening member to prevent or permit the swinging of the latter.

Signed at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and State of New York this 20th day of December A. D. 1916.

ROBT. L. PRAHAR.

WVitness:

F. L. Coon.

Copies of this patentmay be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

